Comparison of carotid media intima thickness and ankle-brachial pressure index in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder with healthy controls

This study aimed to compare carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), ankle-brachial index (ABI), and inflammatory parameters in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and healthy controls. The study included 29 patients with schizophrenia, 29 patients with bipolar disorder, and 32 healthy individuals. There were no significant differences in age and gender distributions among the groups (p>0.05). However, a significant difference in educational levels was found (p=0.024), among to groups, attributed to a lower proportion of university graduates in the schizophrenia group compared to the other groups. Employment rates also differed significantly among the groups (p<0.001), with healthy controls having higher employment rates compared to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder groups. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups regarding CIMT and ABI values (p=0.534 and p=0.708, respectively).However, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was significantly higher in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder groups compared to healthy controls (p=0.017). No significant differences were found in platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) among the groups. The results indicate that inflammatory processes are pronounced in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, while changes in vascular parameters may stem from multiple causes. Future studies are recommended to focus on groups with a wider age range and comorbidities.